PC Fact Check: Doug Holyday misleads public about ServiceOntario wages

TORONTO, Dec. 12, 2013 /CNW/ - Ontario Progressive Conservative MPP Doug Holyday is deliberately misleading the public about the wages earned by the employees at ServiceOntario.

Holyday stood up in the Legislature yesterday claiming ServiceOntario employees earn, on average, $145,000 a year. He arrived at that completely bogus figure by taking the organization's total expenditures ($229 million) and dividing by the number of employees (2,000).

"The typical Customer Service Representative at ServiceOntario earns between $24 and $28 an hour," said OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas. "This number is in the same range as the $25.68 an hour earned by the average permanent employee in Ontario."

Thomas went on to say that it is completely outrageous that the Conservatives would take the total spending, which not only includes labour costs but also items such as leasing costs for office space, IT costs, office supplies etc., and then divide it by the number of employees and say that's what the average employee earns.

"This type of voodoo economics serves no purpose but to give the Conservatives a soapbox to preach on, despite the fact the soapbox is built on falsehoods," said Thomas.

Due to service cuts, ServiceOntario has been in turmoil over the past year or so. The government closed four ServiceOntario offices in 2012 and reduced hours at 22 counters by half this year, mostly in the north.

OPSEU represents 1,200 employees at ServiceOntario, most of whom are staff in the in-person service centres and the three call centres.

SOURCE: OPSEU

Warren (Smokey) Thomas: 416-443-8888